October 2026 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has demanded government intervention to resolve the ongoing dispute between embroidery factory owners and workers in Surat, warning that the conflict is threatening the city’s vital textile and embroidery industry.
Addressing a joint press conference, AAP Gujarat state organisation secretary Dharmesh Bhanderi, Surat city president Pankaj Ambaliya, Surat Lok Sabha president Vipul Suhagiya, Surat Lok Sabha organisation secretary Tulsi Lalaiya, Varachha Assembly in-charge Rajnikant Vaghani and Navsari Lok Sabha in-charge Bharat Prajapati called for mediation to ensure an amicable settlement.
Bhanderi said Surat’s textile and embroidery industries were facing a serious crisis because of the dispute and alleged discrimination between embroidery machine owners and artisans. He questioned why the government was not stepping in to find a mutually acceptable solution to the conflict affecting an industry that serves as an economic lifeline for Gujarat.
According to Bhanderi, job-work businesses face several financial challenges. Textile traders often take three to seven months to make payments to machine owners, while some allegedly shut down their businesses and disappear without clearing their dues. Despite these difficulties, he claimed, embroidery machine owners who pay GST amounting to lakhs and crores of rupees continue to pay workers every 15 days.
He added that machine owners also make timely payments to workers engaged in ancillary activities, including thread cutting and roll polishing.
Bhanderi alleged that neither the BJP government nor the police had paid adequate attention to the difficulties faced by machine owners. He said that during earlier crises, owners had treated artisans like members of their own families and arranged accommodation and food for them.
Despite this, he claimed, some individuals were provoking workers who earn between ₹30,000 and ₹50,000 a month during the peak season. He maintained that artisans had not previously expressed dissatisfaction with the existing working arrangements.
The AAP leader also criticised elected representatives for their alleged silence over the dispute. He questioned why the Deputy Chief Minister, Union ministers, the former BJP state president, 12 MLAs and three MPs from the region had not publicly addressed the issue.
Bhanderi alleged that the BJP’s political calculations were influencing its response. He claimed that because many embroidery workers in Surat come from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, BJP leaders were reluctant to openly support machine owners ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, fearing a possible loss of votes.
He accused the BJP of prioritising electoral victories over public welfare, alleging that the party had become less concerned about Surat following the conclusion of the local elections and would return with promises ahead of the next Gujarat Assembly polls.
The AAP leader said the dispute had become particularly serious during the current peak business season. He alleged that incidents involving anti-social elements in industrial areas on Sundays were creating tension and disrupting the business environment, placing the livelihoods of machine owners and workers at risk.
Calling for immediate government intervention, the AAP outlined several demands. These include comprehensive security for textile and embroidery machine owners during the peak season, adequate police deployment across embroidery industrial areas, and protection for artisans willing to continue working.
The party also demanded the arrest of individuals allegedly inciting workers through social media or other channels, along with strict action against those responsible.
Bhanderi warned that if the government failed to take appropriate steps, the AAP would stand firmly with embroidery machine owners and launch an aggressive campaign of protests against the state government.
The party said prompt mediation was essential to ease tensions, protect livelihoods and prevent further damage to Surat’s textile and embroidery industry.
